Substitute Teacher
by retr0sheep
Summary: When Dr. Two-Brains substitute teaches Becky's class, she must find a way to thwart his latest scheme while completing her schoolwork and protecting her secret identity!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

There Has to Be a Part Two

Wordgirl sighed and wiped a mixture of sweat and sour milk from her face. Upturning one of her boots and scowling at the cascade of dairy splashing to the floor, she turned to face the captured Dr. Two-Brains, who watched her smugly while standing ankle-deep in a pool of half-formed cheese curds.

"So, what's next?" She asked drily. Two-Brains feigned a shocked expression as he leaned against the smashed remains of his latest goop ray.

"Whatever do you mean, Wordgirl?" He said in a sing-song voice that gave Wordgirl the feeling he knew exactly what she meant. Shrugging, he continued, "You foiled my evil scheme, fair and square! Yup, you really knocked it out of the park!" He blinked innocently, but that in itself was a blatant giveaway that he was lying. Huggy squeaked from across the warehouse before collapsing in exhaustion from the recent battle.

"You're right, Huggy, I don't believe that for a second." Wordgirl stopped wringing out her cape and gestured to the complete mess of his warehouse, sending a few droplets of milk flying from her gloves. A huge vat lay toppled on its side, partially gooped earlier by Two-Brains in an attempt to surprise Wordgirl with one big wave of coagulated milk. The debris from Two-Brains' goop ray were scattered across the room, pieces sent flying after Wordgirl "disabled" it with a single punch. The pungent odor of foul dairy permeated her nostrils, making her nose scrunch up whenever a draft carried the smell in her direction. It was _much_ too early in the morning for this.

"No blueprints, no henchmen, no _cheese_?" Wordgirl was incredulous, but Two-Brains seemed unusually accepting about his current circumstance. She threw up her hands. "And why so early in the morning? All you did was steal expired milk from the grocery store, and if you had simply waited until opening hours, none of this would even have warranted my intervention in the first place! At least, not if you hadn't turned so many things to goop along the way! This isn't like you at all, Doc! Where are the diagrams, the detailed charts— the unnecessary complexity? It doesn't add up; there _has_ to be a part two to this plan."

"Hey! I'll have you know that the cheese-making process is an incredibly complex and beautiful art form that requires expertise and talent. Besides, my henchmen took the day off, which is why they couldn't stick around to help out. And then you stopped me before I could actually _make_ any cheese. So there's nothing more to it than that; I guess I'm just having a bad day." Two-Brains rocked back and forth on his heels and started to hum.

"Hmm, I still don't buy it." Wordgirl said. She flew around the warehouse once more to see if she missed anything. It just didn't feel right. Usually Two-Brains would be frustrated to have his master plan thwarted. But there he was, calmly—even happily— watching her look for clues to a bigger plan that apparently didn't exist! But there didn't seem to be any hidden traps, hostages, or stolen goods. Maybe he was telling the truth.

Finding nothing more to support her hunch, she scratched her head thoughtfully, trying not to get distracted by how drenched and smelly and tired she was, how she still had to finish up her math homework before school in a few hours, and how maybe just this once Two-Brains was having an off day.

Huggy lay sprawled on top of a floating piece of scrap metal, nauseous from drinking so much sour milk during their prior battle. Wordgirl quickly consulted with him, though in his current state she was talking to herself more than anything.

"If only the narrator wasn't on vacation—he could tell me if the episode was over and I'd know if we were done here or not," she muttered. Quickly collecting her thoughts, she pointed an accusatory finger at Two-Brains.

"Y-you're really not trying to dupe me, then?"

Two-Brains put on a puzzled expression. "Boy, if only I knew what 'dupe' meant. Why don't you define it for me, Wordgirl, and, uh, take your time. Uh, and be thorough! I could use an example or two."

"Oh, um… okay?" Wordgirl couldn't resist. "To dupe means to trick! You see, when you _dupe_ someone, you fool them or get them to fall for a trap. Granny May often _dupes_ citizens into giving up their money by pretending to be a harmless old lady. Or, when Lady Redundant Woman made a clone of me and caused the public to think _I_ was committing crimes, she _duped_ the public. Or if, I don't know, you happened to get a trick question wrong on the art quiz because you're not that great at art, you could say you were—"

"Duped, yeah, I get it. Hey, look at that, the police are here!" The flashing blue and red lights of police cars signaled their arrival. Two-Brains began walking towards them—willingly, much to Wordgirl's surprise. "Well, Wordgirl, it's been great chatting with you," he called behind him, without looking back. "Don't you have somewhere to be? Any crimes to fight? There's definitely no need _at all_ to follow me." He laughed cautiously.

Wordgirl's confusion was interrupted as her super hearing honed in on the sound of her bedroom alarm clock ringing from across town.

"Uh-oh, you're right! Come on, Huggy, we'll be late for…that…thing!" With a flash, she zipped across the warehouse to grab her sidekick. On her way out the door, where she could see the officers escorting the villain into a waiting car, Wordgirl made her first and second fingers into a "V" shape; she pointed at her own eyes, then at Two-Brains', and flew off into the distance, leaving a streak of light in her wake.

In almost the same amount of time it took for Wordgirl to defeat Dr. Two-Brains, Becky had gotten ready for school. Two showers, a math worksheet, and a quick breakfast later, Becky met Violet and Scoops partway to campus like they did every morning. Violet waved as Becky caught up to them, but Scoops recoiled, pinching his nose.

"Whew, Becky! You smell like bad cheese! Nothing—" he suddenly went quiet and looked around before continuing. "—nothing _villainous_ happened, right? You're supposed to let me know right away so I can be the first reporter on the scene!"

Becky hesitated before answering. "Actually, I did have a little run-in with Dr. Two-Brains earlier this morning but his scheme was so pathetic I didn't think it was worth it to wake you up."

Scoops was visibly disappointed, but shrugged it off. "Don't worry about me, Becky. We've been through worse, you know. Consider me your side-side-kick!"

Bob chirped appreciatively (always glad to be acknowledged), giving Scoops a thumbs up. Violet stopped to pick a dandelion from a crack in the sidewalk and held it up to the sky.

"And I'll be your side-side-side-kick!" She nodded sagely to herself. "You don't have to fight alone anymore, Becky."

"Violet is right," Scoops added. "We've got your back now."

Shifting her backpack uncomfortably, Becky carefully considered which words would be best to tell her friends she didn't want their help. Maybe it was just habit or stubbornness, but the thought of Scoops and Violet tagging along on city patrols and dangerous confrontations didn't seem very enticing. Or safe, for that matter.

Becky stopped walking, and her friends turned back to look at her. "Thanks, guys. I mean it, really. Having two of my best friends know about everything takes a huge weight off my chest. But I've been going solo—"(angry monkey squeaks interrupted her) "—I mean, I've been teaming up with just Huggy for so long, I guess it'll take time for me to get used to having more allies. And until I do, I just want a little room to myself—to keep working like I used to. _Alone_." (More squeaks) "Yes, I mean you too! Listen— Violet, Scoops— I'm seriously glad you two are worried about me, but…don't be. Bob and I are capable of handling anything these villains throw at us."

"Cape a… bull?" Violet repeated, already inspired to create some form of art.

"Oh no, _capable_. It means you can handle something, that you're able to do it. Like how you're capable of painting beautiful pictures!"

"Ohhh, I see," Violet said. But nothing more was spoken between the three friends so the trio walked on in silence, letting Becky's entire confession hang in the air like a thick cloud.

It wasn't until they got to the school parking lot that they noticed several police cars pulled over outside the main entrance.

"That's weird," Scoops said, breaking the silence. "I wonder what's going on."

"It doesn't have anything to do with Wordgirl, does it?" Violet wondered.

"No, I didn't hear about any ongoing crimes. Look! There's the Warden! And my mom?"

Becky ran up to the two adults who were conversing as they exited the school. Upon seeing her daughter, Mrs. Botsford waved enthusiastically.

"Oh, hey Becky! How's my little early-bird? I heard you getting ready for school extra early this morning, good for you!"

"Mom, what's going on? Why's the Warden here?"

"I'll tell you why I'm here," he announced through his thick moustache and lilted accent. "We're starting a new villain reformation program and if it doesn't work, I'll eat my hat!"

"But, but," Becky interjected. "Did anyone ask Wordgirl about this? Remember what happened with Chuck when he tried to take a job as the lunch lady? Maybe it's not a good idea."

Mrs. Botsford waved her hand dismissively. "It's only for a day, sweetie. And the job is only a temporary position as a new substitute teacher, so you probably won't even run into him."

"Sorry, run into who?" asked Scoops, as he and Violet caught up to Becky.

The Warden checked his wristwatch, and started heading back to his police car. "Time's a-wasting, so I'd better be on my way, kiddos. Stay out of prison, now!"

At the mention of the time, Mrs. Botsford jumped a bit. "Oops! Looks like I'd better get back to the office, too. See you later, Violet, Scoops—" she gave her daughter a big hug as she cooed, "And Becky! You have your lunch? That's my girl! Bye-bye now!" As she walked into the parking lot, they heard her say to no one in particular, "What smells like an old grilled cheese sandwich?"

"What was she talking about, Becky?" Violet asked.

"How I smell," Becky quipped, frustrated. Then, relenting, "Sorry, I know that's not what you meant. Apparently, there's going to be a villain working at school today, but she didn't say who. I doubt it's for our class, anyway. Mr. Dudley hasn't missed a day of school since my dad substitute taught a couple months ago."

"I hope it's Mr. Big," Scoops said. "He's so eager to be interviewed, which makes my job a lot easier."

Bob chirped.

"You're right, Bob, we should be on guard. But I'm always glad to give villains a chance to reenter into civilian life." Yet, underneath her confident front, Becky wasn't so sure. The school bell rang, prompting all the students to start filing into their classrooms. Becky took a moment outside to part ways with Bob, and suddenly remembered something.

"Oh, shoot! Scoops, Violet, go on without me! I forgot my math homework—I'll go home and grab it! It'll be just a minute." She ducked out of sight and flew back to her room where she found the hastily completed worksheet on her desk. For Becky, the trip was only a slight detour that took a little less than 30 seconds, but timing was not on her side and she heard the late bell ring as she landed back in front of her classroom. When she opened the door, a familiar voice stopped her dead in her tracks, filling her with a sense of dread.

"Oh, goodie! A straggler!" Two-Brains said from behind the teacher's desk. "I was hoping I would get to mark someone late."

Uh-oh. Becky was starting to get an idea about part two of his scheme.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Mr. Dr. Two-Brains

Becky jumped when she saw her arch-nemesis sitting in the teacher's chair, but luckily he didn't seem to recognize her. He disinterestedly picked up the shiny apple on his desk and tossed it away, replacing it with a wedge of Swiss cheese.

"Dr. Two-Brains?" she blurted. "But I just arrested—I mean, I heard _Wordgirl_ just arrested you this morning!" Then to herself she muttered, "So this is what you were up to."

"You're right, she did—news travels fast. But thanks to the generosity of the city," Two-Brains didn't bother to conceal his sarcasm here, "I've been given another chance to live an honest life; and, with me being the brilliant scientist I am, teaching seemed to be just the right avenue for my talents."

"Oh, please," chimed Tobey McCallister with an arrogant laugh, impatiently drumming his fingers on his desk. "Your 'brilliance' couldn't light up the inside of a paper bag. I find it ridiculous that a _real_ genius such as myself is expected to take orders from a half-rate villain all day."

"H-half-rate villain!"

"That's right," added Victoria Best, who, along with Tobey, was seated in the front row. "This is a complete waste of my time. I'm already the best villain in town, so there's absolutely nothing Mr. _No_ -Brains could possibly teach me."

"Hey, that's _Dr._ No-Brains to you! Wait, I mean—"

Tobey rolled his eyes, ignoring the doctor. "Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say the _best_ villain, Victoria."

"I'm sorry what did you say, Theodore McCallister the _nerd_?" Victoria sneered, laughing triumphantly. "Did I mention I'm also the best at calling people names?"

Tobey pulled out his remote.

"Stop, stop, stop!" Dr. Two-Brains and Becky shouted simultaneously. Two-Brains pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. "How are both of those brats in this class?"

"Bad luck," Becky said. "Trust me."

"Mr. Dr. Two-Brains," piped up a shy voice from the back of the room. "May I use the restroom?"

"No!" he snapped.

Becky stepped between him and the rest of the students. "What are you planning, Dr. Two-Brains?"

"An educational lesson, now everyone be quiet! I'm the teacher now, so you have to listen to me whether you like it or not. Starting with you," he paused to check the seating chart, "Becky Botsford. You're. Late." As he said the last two words he dramatically ticked off the tardy box next to her name on the attendance sheet. Becky flinched; that was her third tardy this week. "You can either take a seat at your desk, or I can arrange for a new one at the principal's office."

The whole class gasped and Becky felt her face start to redden. She stormed to her seat between Tobey and Victoria, slumping down in her chair as she tried not to hear the snickers coming from either side of her.

"Hey, this is kind of fun!" Two-Brains said. He cleared his throat and tried to look authoritative. "Your regular teacher, Mr. What's-his-face, left me a schedule to follow. And according to this," he waved a piece of paper in his hand. "You kids are supposed to read silently for half an hour. So, what're you waiting for? Get to it!"

Becky begrudgingly pulled out her copy of Lester's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary and flipped to the B section, but kept a watchful eye on Two-Brains.

"And while you all are doing that, I'm just going to…prepare. Your lesson, that is. On the chalkboard. With this chalk." He pulled a piece of white chalk from his pocket, and Becky's ears perked up. Was her super hearing picking up the sound of something beeping? She couldn't make out where it was coming from because it was so faint.

A piece of crumpled paper tumbled onto her desk, and Becky opened it.

 _"_ _I think he's up to something. –Scoops"_ Another paper ball bounced by her foot and she unfolded that one too. " _Keep an eye on him. –Still Scoops"_ Becky turned around to look at him; Scoops gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up. She returned the gesture halfheartedly and glanced back at Two-Brains. He was drawing some kind of diagram on the chalkboard, but was very precise about it, using a ruler to measure out the length of the lines. He took out a protractor to make sure the angles were accurate.

Nothing seemed to set off any red flags, so Becky let herself get distracted by the definitions in front of her. Already, she was in a better mood. Maybe today would be tough, but she could get through it.

BAM! The classroom door burst open. Two-Brains jumped, accidentally drawing a stray line that screeched loudly across the board. A man in a green jacket ran in waving his arms frantically.

"Heeeeeelp! Someone's trying to rob the bank! Wait, is this the police station?"

"No." Violet said nicely. "This is a classroom. The police station is just down the street."

"Oh, okay." He disappeared, his footsteps echoing down the hall as he screamed, "Heeeeeelp!"

Becky closed her dictionary and raised her hand.

"Dr. Two-Brains! May I go grab my, uh, bookmark from my locker?"

He scowled at his diagram on the whiteboard, hastily erasing the mistake he made.

"I don't care, just go!"

"Mr. Dr. Two-Brains, may I use the restr—"

"No!"

"Ohhh."

Becky rushed into the hallway and touched her chest—in a flash of light, she transformed to Wordgirl. She would have to leave Bob behind; it would take too long to get him out of class now that he had been moved up a year.

"Word up!"

The bank doors had been propped open by whoever was trying to rob it. She flew through the doorway and landed in the center of the lobby, getting into her battle stance. Two thugs were holding up the counter. The teller looked quite bored as she held her hands in the air defensively.

"Stop right there—wait a minute, what are you two doing here?"

Standing at the counter were none other than Dr. Two-Brains' henchmen. They whipped around and pointed their ray guns at her. Charlie quickly hid something behind his back.

"Oh, hi Wordgirl!" said the shorter one with the hat. "Boy, this is exciting, isn't it Charlie? It's like we're real top-tier supervillains!"

"What are you guys doing?" Wordgirl asked, relaxing her stance. "Dr. Two-Brains said that you guys were taking the day off."

"Oh we are, Wordgirl. Since our boss is busy substitute teaching today, we decided it would be fun to try to copy him. You know, see what it feels like!"

"So you guys are trying to emulate him!" Seeing the blank looks on the henchmen's faces, she added, "It means to imitate someone or try to act like them."

"Yeah, we thought we should try to emulate him, right Charlie?"

Charlie shook his head "No," but took a subtle elbow to the ribs and suddenly started nodding.

"Hmm, I guess you're telling the truth—Dr. Two-Brains can't teach a class and rob a bank at the same time." _Especially since I was there,_ she thought.

"We're not just robbing the bank, Wordgirl, we're going to turn all the money in the vault to cheese!

"You're welcome to try, henchmen, but even the two of you are no match for me!" She zipped forward, planning to grab the ray guns first and then swing back to tie them up with the nearby belt barriers. But with unnatural accuracy and a surprisingly strategic shot, Charlie fired his ray at a beam in the ceiling just above Wordgirl and a pile of rubble collapsed on top of her, trapping her underneath. Wildly disoriented, Wordgirl managed to crawl her way out of the slabs of concrete and ceiling tiles, still a little dizzy as she got to her feet. Her heart sank as she looked around at the empty lobby. They were already gone! The money may be safe now, but they were undoubtedly going to be back, and that meant having to come up with more excuses to leave class. If Becky managed to make it through the day without a single demerit or trip to the principal's office, she promised to never be late for school again.

Although the henchmen had said Two-Brains didn't have anything to do with this crime, she thought it would still be a good idea to verify with the villain himself. After taking care of the mess and making sure the bank teller was okay, she raced back to campus and flew straight into the classroom, landing on Two-Brains' desk.

"Wordgirl!" Tobey exclaimed. Victoria booed. Some people in the class clapped. Scoops snapped a quick picture, the flash lighting up the room for an instant. Two-Brains didn't seem surprised to see her at all.

"Hello again, Wordgirl," Two-Brains said. "I hope you don't plan on interrupting me for too long, I do have a class to teach."

"I can see that. Did you know that your henchmen just attempted to turn all the money in the bank to cheese?"

"Why, I'm shocked! I thought that those two were—"

"Taking the day off?"

"Well I was going to say totally incompetent, but that's also true. What does this have to do with me? I hope you're not thinking of accusing me of _helping_ them, Wordgirl. I can't be in two places at once, can I?"

"Nice try, but I think you're plenty capable of organizing a crime in advance."

"But why would I bother, when I would just be risking having my henchmen botch up the whole thing?"

"Okay then, maybe you're delegating tasks to them from here!"

"Ask anyone of these students, Wordgirl. I've been so busy with teaching them a lesson about the process of cheese-making that I couldn't possibly have time to simultaneously coordinate a bank heist."

Wordgirl turned around as Violet said, "He's right, Wordgirl. He hasn't mentioned anything about a bank this entire time."

"But," Tobey interjected, "If you feel the need to see for yourself, there's an empty seat right here." He motioned eagerly to the seat next to him— _Becky's_ seat. Wordgirl ignored him.

"Listen Two-Brains—"

"No, you listen, Wordgirl. Your interruption is interfering with the education of these young students! I'm surprised you would care so little about their futures." He looked at the clock. "Now, I'm about to mark one particular student absent for leaving class for so long, so—"

"What's that? Is that a crime in progress I hear? Got to go!" Wordgirl said, all in one breath. A moment later, Becky strolled innocently into the room, a strong breeze following her and rustling the papers on Two-Brains' desk.

"Wow, did I just see Wordgirl leave? Boy, it's too bad I missed her." She sat down in her seat, trying to keep her breath steady from the rushed flight just now.

"I'm glad you were able to find your way back to class, Becky." Two-Brains said, folding his arms suspiciously. He sniffed the air.

"Hold on, do you smell like… sour milk?" he asked.

"Who, me?" Becky forced a nervous titter. "No, no. That was just my lunch. I dropped it in my locker. Which is just outside." Becky laughed awkwardly again, but exchanged worried looks with both Scoops and Violet. Two-Brains shrugged and sat back down in his chair, putting his feet up on the desk. He twirled the piece of chalk in his hand.

Was that the sound of beeping again? Where _was_ that coming from? Becky squinted at the diagram on the chalkboard. It looked suspiciously like a floor plan, but she didn't know much about cheese-making. It could just as easily be a giant, elaborate vat.

"As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted, if you were to start making cheese, the first step would be to sterilize your equipment. To review, the germ I just indicated on this diagram here could easily be wiped out by, let's say, a current of hot water directed just over its head."

Wait a minute… Connecting the chalkboard diagram to her recent encounter with the henchmen, Becky suddenly recognized the maneuver Charlie had pulled when he fired the ray gun above her head. If she was represented by the 'germ,' then whenever Two-Brains makes a mark on the chalkboard, his henchmen somehow receive the instruction! His cover as a substitute teacher must be to have an airtight alibi— his plan was clear as day now. Two-Brains really was orchestrating the crime at the bank!

Now that she figured out his plan, all Becky had to do was stay behind when the rest of the class went to lunch, search his desk for whatever gadget he was using to send the chalkboard writing to his henchmen, and somehow destroy it! With his only method of communication disabled, the henchmen wouldn't know how to fight her or finish the crime, and she could change to Wordgirl and arrest all three of them! Becky sat at the edge of her seat, impatiently waiting for the last few minutes until lunch to pass.

Tobey yawned loudly. "With all due respect, _Doctor_ , I've read casserole recipes more interesting than this. Unless you were intentionally trying to be monotonous?"

"Quiet, you."

"Um," said a student in the back of the class. "What does monotonous mean?"

"I can handle this." Becky said, perking up. "To be monotonous means to be really boring and dull. If you have to sit through a long and pointless lecture, you might even fall asleep because it was so—"

Dr. Two-Brains rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we get it. Jeez, you sound just like— " Two-Brains suddenly took his feet off the desk, sitting up straight and looking directly at Becky. The corner of his mouth twitched as he suppressed an evil grin.

"Oh."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Go to School

"You sound just like…"

Two-Brains was interrupted mid-sentence by the blinding, rapid-fire flashing of Scoops' camera. Startled, he lost his balance and toppled over behind the desk, sending up a plume of wide-ruled paper.

Scoops raised his voice to be heard over the sound of laughing children. "Oh, what? That's weird! My camera's flash keeps going off! Let me just see if I can fix it—"

"No!" Two-Brains shouted as he pulled himself off the floor while shielding his eyes. All suspicions forgotten in his irritation, he snapped, "Just go to recess or lunch or wherever you brats are supposed to go!"

Becky mouthed a silent " _Thank you_ " to Scoops and rushed out the door with the rest of her classmates, completely unnoticed by the still dazed Two-Brains.

The bell rang for lunch just as Becky passed Bob in the hall. She grabbed his arm and dragged him in the direction opposite the cafeteria. Bob protested loudly.

"I know you're hungry, Bob, but we have work to do!"

Becky floated close the ceiling in the hall, carrying Bob in her arms as they secretly observed the classroom. Bob pointed as they saw the door open. Two-Brains switched the lights off and begrudgingly held the door for a confused student, explaining, "…and that's what happens when you glue your hands together…"

Once his voice faded, Becky set Bob on the ground and confirmed that the coast was clear. She cracked the classroom door open slightly and held her breath.

"Two-Brains is gone for now and it looks like everyone's still at lunch."

"Squeak! Squeak, chirp!

Becky motioned for Bob to follow, ignoring his side-remark that he wished _he_ were at lunch. She tip-toed to the teacher's desk and started to rummage through papers and folders. Nothing incriminating caught her eye, but she wasn't giving up so easily. Bob, having climbed up the door to get a better viewpoint, stood on the doorknob and monitored the hallway for any sign of Two-Brains.

"Cheep cheep!"

"I _am_ hurrying!" Becky put her ear to the drawers and heard that ticking sound from before—faint, even with her super hearing. She tried the handle, but it jiggled uselessly in her hand.

"It's locked. I'll have to break it."

"Eeeeek eek!"

"I know Two-Brains will notice, but do you have a better idea?"

Bob briefly scanned the classroom then leapt to Violet's desk and reached inside. He triumphantly held up a bobby pin.

"Oh, good idea, Bob! You pick the lock, and I'll keep a look out." They traded places; Bob worked at the desk, biting the hair pin between his teeth to bend it slightly, and Becky stationed herself at the door. As Bob started fiddling with the pin, Becky saw a shadow approach from around the corner.

"Someone's coming! I'll stall for time, just make sure you get that drawer open." Becky ducked out of the room and stood protectively in front of the door, bracing herself for a confrontation with—

"Becky!"

"Scoops? Violet?" Becky whispered, watching her friends approach. "You two should be at lunch, what's going on?"

"We're here to help save the day!" Violet said.

Scoops added, "We just saw Dr. Two-Brains go into the teacher's lounge and we thought Wordgirl might need some henchmen of her own."

Becky hesitated. "That's really nice and all, but Bob's already handling it."

"Bob? He's here?" Violet asked.

"Yeah, he's inside picking the lock, and—"

"What lock? You mean Mr. Dudley's desk?" Scoops sputtered. "Is that where you think Two-Brains is hiding his sinister ray gun?"

"Yes, but—no, it's not a ray gun. It's something that ticks and is somehow transmitting whatever he writes on the chalkboard to his henchmen. I'm not actually sure what it is, but that's all the more reason for you two to go. It could be dangerous!"

"No, that's all the more reason for us to stay," Violet said. "What kind of friends would we be if we let you put yourself in danger?"

"But that's exactly the kind of friends I want you to be!" Becky groaned.

Scoops shushed her and whispered a quick warning. "Someone's coming, everyone act natural!" The three of them scrambled to line up in front of the door, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Oh, it's you three. I thought I heard the sound of childish gossip."

"Hi Tobey!" Violet said cheerfully, unfazed by the snide remark. Becky inwardly groaned; this was just her luck.

Tobey rolled his eyes, but conceded. "Hello, Violet." He looked quizzically over their shoulders to see into the classroom, but Becky blocked his view.

"You don't need to go into the classroom, do you?" Violet asked. "Because you should probably come back later. I mean, we're not doing anything, but we'll just stand here until you leave. Unless you don't want to, but—"

Becky cut her off. "Keep it moving, McCallister."

Tobey chuckled, brushing past them as he continued down the hall. "You're not fooling anybody. And while I think it's cute that you three think you can outdo Wordgirl's investigative skills, I could care less about whatever inept plan Two-Brains is trying to execute. And in case you were wondering, execute means—"

"To carry out!"

Violet, Scoops, and Tobey looked confusedly at Becky, who had her finger raised, ready to define, but hadn't said a word.

"I, uh, didn't say that."

"No, I did. Victoria Best!" The blonde strolled up to the group and flipped her braids in Becky's face.

"We know your name Victoria, you don't have to keep announcing it." Becky muttered. "And all of you have to go right now before—"

She sniffed the air. The smell of strong cheese wafted down the hallway and was getting stronger by the second. Dr. Two-Brains was coming.

Becky threw up her hands. "I don't believe it! Fine, there's no time. All of you, get inside!" Her peers barely had time to register what was going on before Becky ushered them all into the classroom in a giant push.

Bob looked up as five students tumbled into the classroom. He slapped his forehead in utter exasperation.

"Everyone get under a desk and keep quiet!" Becky ordered, hurrying to tidy up Two-Brains' ransacked desk.

"Why should I?" Tobey pouted indignantly. "I didn't want anything to do with this."

"Tobey," Becky seethed as she grabbed him by the collar and started dragging him away from the door. "If you stay quiet for five minutes, I'll give you Wordgirl's personal cell phone number."

It didn't take any more incentive than that. Becky, Bob, and Tobey crouched under Two-Brains' desk; Violet, Scoops, and Victoria ("I'm the _best_ at hiding!") hid under some desks in the back row. The door swung open and the lights turned on, making everyone feel significantly more exposed. No one dared to move as the odor of Limburger filled the room, signaling Two-Brains' presence. Becky didn't need her super-hearing to hear the sound of Bob's stomach growling; Two-Brains, however, was too focused on his snack to notice. They watched his brown loafers walk to the desk and face the chalkboard, just a few feet away from their hiding spot. A particularly loud bumblebee drifted by and Becky waved it off, shushing it without thinking.

"Eh? What was that? Is someone in here?" The brown loafers took a step back, _towards_ Becky, Bob, and Tobey. Tobey fumbled for the remote in his pocket, nearly dropping it in his haste, then hit the red button. From outside the window, a hissing sound was heard and a spray of water splattered against the window. Two-Brains walked away from the desk to investigate, and everyone sighed in relief.

"That kid built lawn sprinklers into his robots?" Two-Brains asked himself. "Huh, I need to get myself one of those. It would almost be as useful as the mechanical piece of chalk I'm using to covertly send instructions to my henchmen on how to turn all the money in the bank to cheese while simultaneously keeping Wordgirl at bay." Two-Brains inhaled deeply. "Ahh, it feels good to say it out loud."

A clatter rang out from across the room. The sounds of squabbling erupted from the back of the classroom.

"Hey, wait a minute!" Two-Brains said, and Becky heard that too-familiar, whirring noise of a ray-gun being fired up. She instinctively jumped out from under the desk to see Two-Brains draw a ray-gun from his coat.

Victoria Best jumped out of her hiding spot at the same time. "Hah! I knew it! Now that I know what you're up to, I'll be able to stop you before Wordgirl even gets a chance to steal all the attention! I'll be the _best_ detective!"

"I don't think so!" Two-Brains retorted, as he fired a green blast at Victoria just as she was about to play the first note on her recorder. He cackled as Victoria suddenly sneezed… and sneezed again… and kept sneezing. She dropped her recorder and started fumbling for a nearby box of tissues.

Two-Brains blew away the green smoke at the end of the ray gun. "Like my new sneeze ray? I designed it to keep meddling students like you from ruining my scheme. You're one nurse's pass away from—"

"Bless youuuu," Violet whispered to Veronica as she continued to sneeze.

Two-Brains paused. "Hey, how many are you are there?"

Scoops and Violet sheepishly stood up.

"Right then," Two-Brains said, "You've all heard too much, so it looks like I'll have to write a few more sick notes."

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Becky shouted. Bob hopped up next to her, but they both knew it was risky to act the superhero without their costumes.

Two-Brains swiveled around to face her. "Oh great, there's more."

Becky glanced sideways at Tobey, who was still sitting under the desk.

"Uh, Tobey, there's no real point in hiding now."

Tobey tapped his watch and said, "It hasn't been five minutes yet."

As Two-Brains directed his full attention to Becky, Scoops whispered something to Violet, who nodded and started edging towards the door, reaching for Becky's backpack as she went.

Two-Brains shot a blast at Becky, but she dodged to the side and avoided it entirely. Another ray was fired at Bob, and though he tried to jump out of the way, it caught his leg and he was reduced to sneezing.

"Bob!" Becky cried. Sneezing uncontrollably, Bob staggered over to Victoria, where they took turns grabbing tissues to wipe their noses.

Becky called out Two-Brains mockingly. "Your ray-gun against a bunch of kids? What's the matter, _Mr._ Two-Brains? Afraid of a few 5th graders?"

"Hah! I wouldn't exactly call Tobey or Miss Magic Flute over here your average 5th graders." He replied. "So, in a classroom this unusual, should I really be surprised when I find out that I'm substitute teaching for _Wordgirl_ as well?"

"What?" Tobey piped up, peeking his head out from under the desk.

"Wha- _choo_!" Victoria sneezed, shoving Bob away from the tissue box.

Becky and Scoops stuttered uselessly.

"Wait, who is it?" Tobey asked. "Is it Violet? Because there is no evidence to suggest—"

"It's Becky Botsford!" Two-Brains interrupted, rubbing his temple. "I mean, come on! The hair, the face, the vocabulary, the smell of sour milk—it all adds up!"

Up to this point, Tobey had been rolling his eyes and scoffing. But when Two-Brains mentioned the "smell of sour milk," his confidence faltered.

"The smell of…?"

"Just this morning I fought Wordgirl in my warehouse lair and both her and her monkey-fellow were soaked from head to toe in sour milk. And the _one_ student in my class that can't sit still because, oh, I don't know, she's off battling my henchmen at the bank, just so happens to smell like that exact same milk?"

"That could have been, uh, you don't know if—" Becky tried to object.

"If you don't believe me, then allow me to provide you with some more edivence."

Through gritted teeth, Becky swallowed her word-correction and said, "I'm. All. Ears."

Two-Brains suddenly turned his ray gun on Violet, who had just reached the door on her way out. Distracted by Two-Brains' word error, Becky couldn't react fast enough. Violet stared wide-eyed as the ray hit her square-on and the endless sneezes started. Losing her grip, the backpack slipped from Violet's hands and fell to the ground, its contents spilling out onto the floor. Four pencils, a calculator, a dictionary, three notebooks, a key to the city, a damp yellow cape, and a sour-smelling red suit displaying the iconic Wordgirl insignia.

Tobey's jaw dropped. Victoria gasped in shock between sneezes. Scoops froze. Bob couldn't bear to watch and covered his eyes— and his nose with another tissue.

At that moment, the classroom door opened and students began to file in from their lunch break. But the current scene made most of them stop, uncertain of they just walked into.

Becky recovered first. "You won't get away with this, Dr. Two-Brains. It's you against all of us!"

Two-Brains waggled his finger. "Look behind you, _Wordgirl._ "

With a pale face, Becky turned back to look at the chalkboard, which she had neglected to examine in her haste to search his desk. Written in large, chalky white letters, were the words,

"GO TO SCHOOL."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Sandwich

Becky and Bob sat back-to-back, tied up with string cheese while Two-Brains paced back and forth, swinging his sneeze ray threateningly. The class, now seated except for Victoria and Violet who had been dismissed on account of sudden sickness, looked on in fear and amazement.

"Aggrandize, obdurate, trenchant, denigrate—how many more words do I have to mispronounce before you realize I'm not Wordgirl!" Becky made a show of struggling against her restraints, although it would have taken little effort to break free using her super strength.

"Eeek?" Bob asked, skeptical.

Becky muttered back, "Well, I didn't actually mispronounce them, but I doubt anyone will know the difference."

"H-hey! Enough with the whispering!" Two-Brains snapped. Becky and Bob sat up straighter, smiling innocently as Two-Brains turned back to address the class.

"Get ready to take notes because it's time for my final lecture: how to be a supervillain!" He cackled maniacally, mouse brain pulsating with green energy.

Tobey scoffed. "Like you have any experience in that regard—wait, wait! Don't shoot!"

"Hold it, Dr. Two-Brains!" Becky interrupted as Two-Brains pointed the sneeze ray at Tobey in retaliation. "Every student you zap and send to the nurse's office is one less audience member witnessing your victory; if you keep zapping you'll end up with empty bleachers. You don't want that, do you?"

"I could say the same to you, Wordgirl. For every student I zap it's one less witness to your undoing—the disclosure of your secret identity! I would think it's to your advantage to let these kids get the sneeze ray."

Becky paused to consider this. "You know what, actually…" Bob interrupted with a series of angry squeaks, and Becky shook her head, snapping out of it. "Nice try! But I don't care if the whole city is watching, because then they'll all hear the truth. I'm. Not. Wordgirl."

"Sticking to your guns, eh? Once that school bell rings at two o'clock and my henchmen arrive, we'll see which one of us is still laughing. And as for you McHeckler," he said, turning his attention back to Tobey who immediately raised his hands again in defense. "If you want your remote back after class then you'll keep quiet and pay attention. Capiche?"

"Oh, absolutely! Very capiche, Doctor!" Tobey replied, suddenly acting the (terrified) model student.

"And that goes for you too, reporter kid! No more funny business with the flash photography. Now where was I? Oh, right." Two-Brains finished his evil laugh. "Ahem. My henchmen are on their way to help finish things off, so in the meantime, we'll begin with lesson one: plotting the crime."

The sound of clattering pencils and the rustling of backpacks swelled as the class clamored to grab something to write with. Everyone started taking notes all at once, mostly out of intimidation rather than an actual desire to learn. Becky rolled her eyes.

"Oh please. It doesn't take a genius to—" A nudge from Bob warned her. "—to know that I have no idea what your plan is because I've been here the whole time. Go ahead."

"Well, as you may know, the reason I've been forced to spend a whole day babysitting this class is because of the Villain Reformation Initiative."

"Is that the same reason Chuck was our lunch lady for a day?" Scoops asked.

"Uh, no, it's apparently a new thing…" Two-Brains paused to scratch his brain in thought. "Am I the only one who thinks it's kind of irresponsible?"

Becky nodded emphatically. "That's what _I_ keep telling them!"

"At first," Two-Brains continued. "I thought it was an inconvenience, but any _truly_ despicable villain can operate in any circumstance." He strolled through the rows of desks while he talked, occasionally correcting an error on some student's notes. "No, that's _Two-_ Brains, not _Too-_ Brains. Anyway, I realized that this presented an opportunity. What could be a better alibi than standing in front of an entire class of students all day while my henchmen handle the dirty work?"

A few hands went up. "Is the word alibi going to be on the test?" A voice from the class asked nervously.

"Why, yes! Why don't we let _Wordgirl_ explain the meaning of alibi?"

Becky gave him the cold shoulder. "We're in a classroom. There's a dictionary in here somewhere."

"Mmph! Dictionary!" Ignoring the growing sense of déjà vu, Two-Brains resumed his lecture. "This morning I committed a crime to set things in motion. As Wordgirl arrested me, I stalled for time long enough for her to _think_ the police had arrived to take me to jail, when the officers who arrived were actually my henchmen in disguise come to drop me off at school."

"What!?"Becky and Bob shouted in unison. _But I saw the red and blue police lights,_ Becky thought. _I saw the patrol car—_

Two-Brains addressed Becky. "Oh, I know what you're thinking. 'But I saw the red and blue police lights!' Right?"

"N-nope!"

"That was a little device of my invention; I call it… the colored lightbulb. Honestly, that wasn't even the hard part. And after you flew off in a hurry, you didn't even notice that the 'patrol car' was actually our van in disguise too!"

Come to think of it, Becky did remember that Two-Brains was put into a patrol car that _might_ have looked a little out of the ordinary… but she was so focused on Two-Brains' weird behavior she didn't give it a second thought.And because she left before seeing which direction it was driving in, she couldn't really say that it ever _was_ driving in the direction of the prison.

"But, but!" Becky blurted. "Why go to all the trouble of making Wordgirl think you were going to jail? Everything would have turned out the same if she knew from the start that you were going to be substitute teaching!"

"Well," Two-Brains replied. "Wordgirl was never supposed to know I never went to jail—wait, does that make sense? That's where my plan hit a few problems. First, my annoying henchmen spilled the beans first thing this morning by telling Wordgirl at the bank heist that I was substitute teaching a class. But, wasn't it weird that she didn't seem surprised to hear I wasn't in jail?"

"How did you know—"

"And secondly, Wordgirl herself ended up being in my class! Of all the rotten luck—well, I guess it turned out alright in the end."

Scoops raised his hand. "Why did you have to be at school to do this? Wouldn't it have been better to be hiding all by yourself where no one could find you?"

"Believe me, kid, I would have gladly holed myself up somewhere if I hadn't been scheduled for this teacher gig. But, when plans change, change your plans, that's what I always say."

"What, you couldn't wait an extra day?" Becky retorted.

"Like I said, a truly despicable villain can operate in any circumstance. Hey, why don't you write that down, Tobey, you need all the tips you can get."

Tobey glared, strangling his mechanical pencil with a death grip and muttering, "Who knew I'd ever be glad to see Wordgirl take down a fellow villain."

"That brings me to lesson two: executing the heist. The problem with letting my henchmen carry out the crime is that they're completely useless without my excellent leadership. They'd never be able to fight Wordgirl on their own. So, class, how did I manage to send them my instructions without actually being there in person?"

"You called them on the phone!"

"You wrote them a letter!"

"You told them what to do beforehand?"

To Bob, Becky leaned over and mumbled, "You know, all of those could have worked if Two-Brains hadn't decided to go with the most complicated solution…"

"You're all wrong," Two-Brains countered. "I used the chalk. My henchmen have a gadget that shows them everything I write using a certain stick of chalk I built myself. So while you kids thought I was giving a lecture about cheese, I was simultaneously drawing a blueprint for the bank. And based on what I heard through my Tiny Mechanical Ear here," He briefly pulled from his pocket a tiny device shaped like an actual ear. "I could instantly react to the situation and relay my instructions on defeating Wordgirl through the chalk diagrams. Even when Wordgirl showed up she didn't catch on! Genius, right?" He chuckled, beaming proudly; then, seeing the blank faces of the class, said, "What, did I lose you?"

"Hmph." Tobey shrugged. "A clandestine multiconducting universal transceiver. Child's play."

"When I wrote, 'GO TO SCHOOL' on the chalkboard, that wasn't directed at you kiddos, it was for my henchmen, you see? I couldn't care less about what you do with your miserable, law-abiding lives. Finally, that brings us to lesson three: _destroying the hero!_ "

The class gasped. The lights flickered with perfect timing, accentuating Two-Brains' evil laugh with a frightening effect. Two-Brains leaned over to Tobey again.

"Are you still writing this down, kid? Textbook."

Becky whispered to Bob, "What do we do, Huggy? Two-Brains' henchmen will be here any minute! And when they do, I don't know if we can fight Two-Brains _and_ rescue the class without anyone getting caught in the crossfire!"

Bob whispered back, "Cheeep eeek eek!"

"Bob, stop talking in riddles. What do you mean you think we have more time than you think I think?"

"Hey! What did I say about the whispering!?" Two-Brains interrupted.

Becky put on a nonchalant face, though her bravado was starting to falter. "I was only telling Bob here how this string cheese was starting to get a little goopy. It's kind of warm outside, you know."

"Funny you should mention, Wordgirl." Two-Brains said as he twisted a dial on his sneeze ray. "This new ray gun has three settings—sneeze, cheese, and goop. And I didn't switch it to cheese mode just now, so I'm sure you can guess what comes next."

"Uh-oh."

"Uh-oh is right, Wordgirl! As soon as that bell rings, my henchmen will barge in here and we'll finally get rid of you—for good!"

Scoops leapt to his feet. "You won't get away with this, Dr. Two-Brains. Wordgirl will rescue Becky and stop you! She'll always win!"

Suddenly, the school bell rang. It was two o'clock. Two-Brains let out a final, triumphant, evil laugh. With bated breath, everyone turned expectantly towards the door and waited… and waited… and waited a little longer.

"This clock fast, or something?" Two-Brains asked, adjusting his bow tie nervously. The door handle turned. "Aha! Here we go—"

"The only place you'll be going," a voice rang out. "Is prisonnnn!"

"Wordgirl!?" Two-Brains looked towards where Becky sat… and she was still sitting there, looking just as surprised, as him, if not more surprised. Through the door ran a girl in a red suit and yellow cape—Wordgirl herself! Only, her hair seemed a bit lighter… almost blonde. And her voice sounded a little softer than usual. And since when did Wordgirl wear so many gadgets?

Becky squinted. "Huh? Is that you Viole—" Bob kicked Becky, exasperated with her constant indiscretion. "Violence!" Becky corrected herself. "Violence is happening Wordgirl, help us!"

"Mr. Dr. Two-Brains," Wordgirl said, striking a confident pose. "You are not being very nice!"

"That's not possible!" Two-Brains said. "Becky's Wordgirl! And where are my henchmen?"

Bob immediately spoke up, and Becky translated for him.

"Bob's right! Wordgirl must have defeated them on the way here! And _as soon as she turns off the lights_ I bet she'll defeat you too, Dr. Two-Brains!"

"I don't think so." Without looking away from Wordgirl, Two-Brains pointed the ray gun at Becky, stopping the superhero in her tracks.

"Henchmen or no henchmen, I can still defeat you! Take one step closer and the other Wordgirl gets gooped!"

"U-uh, umm…" Wordgirl stammered. "Sorry, I'm not so good at this talking part." She looked at Becky who was silently but frantically mouthing the words, "Lights off!"

Without another word, Wordgirl reached over and flicked the light switch. There was a sudden burst of movement in the front of the room, and even with the outside light streaming in through the windows, it was too dim to see more than a blur.

"What's going on!?" Two-Brains yelped, and a green flash illuminated the room for an instant as he pulled the trigger instinctively. A second later, it fired again with a yellow flash and the smell of cheese filled the air.

In another moment, the chaos stopped. Wordgirl flicked the lights back on. Two-Brains dangled from the ceiling, tied up with string cheese and looking extremely annoyed. Becky was panting and hadn't caught her breath yet, leaning on the teacher's desk for support. Bob, who had also been freed, was covered head to toe in goop. Wordgirl still stood by the door, looking a little confused.

All at once, the class cheered. Scoops started taking pictures and rushed to the front of the class.

"Wordgirl! Mind if I get a statement for the paper?"

Becky was expecting Scoops to approach her, but he walked right by and went to Wordgirl.

"Oh, right." She said, disappointed. Becky followed Scoops and dragged both him and Wordgirl into the hall, announcing, "We'd better call the police!"

An instant later, Wordgirl flew back into the class, followed by Violet and Scoops.

"Wow, what a thought-provoking interview, Scoops!" Wordgirl exclaimed. "And, because you asked, an alibi is an explanation for where you were and what you were doing when something else happened. Like how Dr. Two-Brains here thought that being a substitute teacher would provide the perfect alibi to trick me into thinking he wasn't behind the bank heist this afternoon. Which failed, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah." Two-Brains sighed. "So much for my evil plan. Just take me to jail already, Wordgirl, I'm—I'm feeling a little blue."

"Speaking of blue…" she said, and a couple of police officers, the Warden, and Becky's mom entered the class. They looked taken aback when they saw the scene in front of them.

"Oh my stars! What happened here?"

"Warden, officers, Mrs. Botsford—I just caught Dr. Two-Brains in the middle of a crime—and now I think it's time to bring him to jail where he belongs."

"Wait!" Tobey spoke up, nearly tripping in his rush to get out of his desk. He composed himself and stood under Dr. Two-Brains sticking out a hand in front of him. "I believe you have something that belongs to me, _Mr_. Dr. Two-Brains."

Two-Brains grumbled. Though his movement was largely restrained by the cheese, he rummaged through his pockets, sending a few items raining down onto Tobey's head, who clumsily swatted them away: some cheese, a tiny, mechanical ear, a remote, and a piece of chalk which broke into dusty pieces as it hit the ground.

Tobey stooped to pick up the remote, making sure it hadn't malfunctioned in the fall. "Thank you, Dr. Two-Brains. I believe I've learned a lot today."

"R-really?" Two-Brains perked up a bit, which was saying something for someone currently hanging upside-down.

Tobey smiled smugly. "About how not to be a super villain."

"J-Just you wait, Wordgirl!" Two-Brains shouted as he was lowered from the ceiling and dragged out of the classroom. "You won't get so lucky next time! And that Becky-brat might not be Wordgirl, but she's made an enemy out of me! Class is dismissed!"

Everyone started streaming out of the classroom, buzzing with excitement, until only Wordgirl, Violet, Scoops, Bob, and Tobey remained.

"Wordgirl, I never believed for a second that Becky was your secret identity." Tobey said. Then to himself, he added, "Although after being accused two or three times, one might begin to suspect her of actually—"

"Tobey!" Wordgirl yelled, startling him and disrupting his train of thought. "Uh, I saw Becky in the hallway, and she told me to give you this." Wordgirl handed him what looked like a small business card. Tobey's eyes widened when he saw the numbers written on it.

"Your p-p-personal cell phone number?" He stuttered.

"It's only for emergencies!" She said sternly. "Becky told me you earned it, or something. Just get out of here before I change my mind."

"R-right! Whatever you say!" Tobey quickly grabbed his things and bolted out the door. Once he had gone, Wordgirl sunk into a nearby chair and sighed loudly.

"Phew! I'll regret making that deal later, but for now I just can't believe we managed to get out of that one! Violet, you're a genius! Thank you so much! When that bell rang—if you hadn't stepped in just then, I was going to change into Wordgirl in front of everybody!"

Violet laughed. "It was Scoop's idea for me to wear your costume when Two-Brains caught us during lunch, but I got hit with the sneeze ray and dropped your bag. As soon as he sent me to the nurse's office, I ran home to get my Halloween costume instead."

Bob proudly patted Violet on the back.

Scoops nodded. "Good idea! I guess the sneeze ray wore off then, huh?"

Wordgirl sat up. "Wait a second! Two-Brains was so convinced that his henchmen were about to get here. Did you actually defeat them like Bob said you did?"

"No, I didn't see anyone on my way here," Violet said.

Bob cleared his throat. Everyone turned to look at him as he pointed towards a broken piece of chalk on the ground.

"Is that his chalk gadget?" Scoops asked. Bob shook his head and pulled out another piece of chalk from behind his back—one that, Wordgirl heard, was making a ticking noise. Bob explained himself.

"You mean you swapped the chalk just before we all barged in during lunch?" Wordgirl gasped. "So that means Dr. Two-Brains' henchmen must still be waiting somewhere—that's why they didn't show up at the bell!"

Scoops snapped his fingers. "That was pretty smart, Bob. How about I interview you as the primary witness for my article?"

"There's just one more thing that we need to do." Wordgirl said. Bob handed her the chalk as she flew to the chalkboard in front of the class and, erasing the "GO TO SCHOOL" written there, wrote, "Let's confess our crimes. Meet me in jail."

Wordgirl then snapped the chalk in half, which sparked violently before fizzling out, it's ticking sound quieted for good.

"It's not as fun as Mr. Big's mind control," she said, "But it'll do."

"Hey, why don't we all go out for ice cream to celebrate?" Scoops suggested.

"Oooh, count me in!" Violet sang.

"Squeeeak!"

Wordgirl stopped them. "Hold on, I need to tell you guys something." Everyone looked to her curiously, except Bob, who was mostly impatient.

"All this time I've been trying to keep you two away from my superhero work. But you guys actually saved me today! I should have let you two help me from the very beginning. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted, Becky!" Violet said.

"Y-you mean it?"

"Sure!" Scoops added. "Maybe we were too eager to put ourselves in danger in the first place."

"If Two-Brains taught me anything," Violet said, "It's that being Wordgirl is pretty dangerous."

"Hmm," Wordgirl rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "How about we compromise? I've got a few ideas for some new emergency plans that require two extra people. Let's brainstorm!"

Bob screeched.

"Right, Bob. Over ice cream. But first… how about a double-decker-high-five-sandwich?"


End file.
